How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Every sedan that qualifies for this category needs to be powered and propelled solely by electricity from battery packs, and sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (Cat B COE). Done.

Meet The Contenders

Clockwise, from top left, firstly representing China is the BYD Seal Performance. Next, flying the South Korean flag is the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh. Finally, championing USA is the Tesla Model 3 Highland.

The BYD Seal’s sharp, muscular looks turns heads wherever it goes. People stop and point, and this speaks volumes to BYD’s design language. Lots of tech features on the inside, along with creature comforts. And its performance can snap your neck and make your passengers scream with glee.

No prizes for guessing which one of us still refers to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 as “my Korean Saab.” Insert lots of lovey-dovey emojis before and after.

Love or hate it, it’s got a very unique look that turns snaps heads as it glides silently by. Add to that a technology-infused interior, sufficient passenger space, decent ride comfort and fast charging, and you’ve got yourself a very unique Cat B Sedan EV here.

The Tesla Model 3 is readily recognised on the roads. With an ultra-minimalist theme both inside and out, tech up the wazoo, uniquely-Tesla quirks and stable yet playful characteristics, the Model 3 has every right to be in this competition.

Exciting, innit?

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Sedan EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh

The win goes to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh with 429 points. In the Cat B sedan EV segment, the IONIQ 6 feels like the most well-rounded and complete package.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B Sedan EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Every vehicle that qualifies for this category needs to be sold with a Category A Certificate of Entitlement (Cat A COE). It also needs to have a full-hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrain that allows it to be driven for some distance purely on electric power alone.

No plug-in hybrids were launched this year under Certificate of Entitlement Category A (COE Cat A).

Meet The Contenders

Here are the first three contenders. Representing Japan is the Lexus LBX (left), and South Korea is represented by the Hyundai Kona Hybrid (right) and the Hyundai Avante Hybrid.

The next two contenders can run very briefly on pure electric power, and therefore make an appearance here.

Representing Italy is the Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce (left), and representing Japan is the Suzuki Swift Mild Hybrid (right).

The Lexus LBX is smooth, quiet and feels suitably premium and upmarket on the inside. Its hybrid powertrain means that it’s frugal to run and its compact dimensions make it a great runabout in town.

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid looks futuristic with its angular styling. It’s also longer, taller and wider than its predecessor, meaning more space and practicality than before. Throw in a classic modern interior, essential creature comforts and fuel-frugal attitude, and you’ve got a really attractive package here.

The Hyundai Avante Hybrid’s sharp and angular looks are modern and befitting a vehicle twice its price tag. With sufficient tech and more than enough creature comforts on the inside, comfortable ride and a frugal engine, this is the sedan too look at in the Cat A hybrid segment.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale brings excellent handling for a front-wheel drive SUV, striking good looks befitting an Alfa and decent interior space and practicality.

Ever loved by enthusiasts, the Suzuki Swift is a hatchback that’s affordable, nimble, frugal and quite practical.

Five contenders face off for green-cred bragging rights, and there can only be one.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat A Hybrid
Lexus LBX

The winner with 383 points is the Lexus LBX. While it may cost a pretty penny, it also feels equally as upmarket while being able to confidently flash its green credentials without breaking a sweat.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Lexus LBX for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat A Hybrid / Plug-In Hybrid!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Price notwithstanding, the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. We counted them. There were nine. Battle Royale indeed. Ding-ding-ding!

Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

BMW i7 xDrive 60

The BMW i7 xDrive 60 offers so much luxury car for its price. It’s expensive, no doubt, and we appreciate the technology inside that would keep wealthy tech geeks happy for hours on end and is pretty easy to use.

We are especially impressed by how well the i7 drives and rides, and how much of a compelling proposition it has become to the upper crust of society, and this is why it won Best Luxury EV in Round 1.

BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35

The BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 brings brand cachet and sufficient technology to the table while driving, riding and handling well like a BMW should. Being a unique contender vis-a-vis price in the premium EV market segment sets the BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 apart from everyone else, and it’s also the most frugal premium EV we’ve tested to date. No surprise then that the i4 clinched Best Premium EV in Round 1.

Hyundai IONIQ 6

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 offers a very compelling price-to-performance ratio in its market segment. From a tech-focused interior to acceleration that can cause one to draw a sharp breath, there is much here that appeals to us.

Throw in the decidedly Saab-esque swooping and quirky aerodynamic exterior design, which likely caused a large leaf blown toward the IONIQ 6 on the highway to go absolutely space-shuttle status skywards upon contact with the front bumper, and it’s not difficult to see why it snaps heads and gets fingers pointing as it drives past. This is why it won Best Cat B EV in Round 1.

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin may be small in stature but it makes a big impression for sure. It looks bright and cheerful and turns heads as one drives by. It offers a tech-focused interior that’s nice, comfortable and modestly spacious.

Its battery pack offers great range, thanks to how efficient the Dolphin is. Its value-proposition is what won the Dolphin the Best Cat A Hatchback EV award in Round 1.

BYD Atto 3

The BYD Atto 3 is roomy, spacious, comfortable and has an infotainment screen that can be flipped from landscape to portrait and vice-versa. It also has a clean exterior design that will appeal to many.

On the road, the Atto 3 is quiet, comfortable and very energy-efficient with good range. It is also easy to drive and place into parking spots. Not difficult to see why it clinched the title of Best Cat A SUV in Round 1.

MG 4 EV

The MG 4 EV brings sharp and distinct looks to the table. Its tech-focused interior is comfortable, roomy and practical. That it goes like stink and sticks to the road through corners like a leech adds to its charm. Also, it’s rear-wheel driven, which stood out for us car enthusiasts in the judging panel.

It’s also priced attractively, and its value proposition clinched it the title of Best Cat B Hatchback EV in Round 1.

MAXUS MIFA 9

MAXUS, in its first overseas foray, has simply swooped in and swept up the win in the Best MPV EV category in Round 1 with the MIFA 9 Luxury. Now THAT’S a serious statement to make right there. Its price versus standard equipment and how well it performed on the road make this passenger paradise a stonking value proposition.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

The minimalists within us appreciated the clean aesthetic that the Volvo XC40 Recharge brings to the table. Add to that an interior that exudes functionality, practicality and eco-friendly material choices and a battery pack that offers very good real-world range and you have a very compelling package right here in the XC40 Recharge.

Not difficult to see, when combined with its price point why the XC40 Recharge won Best Cat B SUV EV in Round 1.

Opel Vivaro-e

We did say at the beginning that the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. That’s why we must not forget about the Opel Vivaro-e. It is an electric van. Its price, the offering of keyless start and stop, ease of driving and energy efficiency enabled it to clinch the win in the Best Commercial EV category.

So who won?

Nine EVs to choose from! This proved to be a massive headache for the judging panel indeed, but a good one. With the Battle Royale seeing numerous choke slams, body slams, figure-four leg locks and tombstone pile drivers delivered, there was only one left standing when the dust settled. No members of the judging panel were harmed in this process. Neither was any EV.

Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6

Of the line-up, the Hyundai IONIQ 6 is easily the most desirable EV of the lot. While it didn’t clinch the highest amount of points on the board, its price-to-performance ratio is spot on. Its looks may be polarising but it undoubtedly turns heads. It’s also very spacious on the inside, and one would not be the wiser that they’re in a Hyundai thanks to the dearth of Hyundai logos within.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

The Overall Best Luxury Vehicle is chosen from the three Cat B luxury categories’ winners from Round 1. Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

Audi SQ 7

There’s a famous scene in The Godfather movie in which Marlon Brando, playing Don Corleone, says, “I’m gonna make him a deal he can’t refuse.” The Audi SQ 7 epitomises this line. It brings space, pace and practicality to the luxury car segment at a stonking price point. This is why it won Best Luxury SUV.

BMW XM

The BMW XM, despite being the absolute most expensive vehicle in the ACOTY line-up, won the Best Premium Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid Category in Round 1 because BMW’s M-division dares to do things differently. Being the first standalone model since the M1, the XM is a strong statement in the automotive industry, and its ballsy go-big-or-go-home nature is why it won.

BMW i7 xDrive60

Despite the BMW i7 xDrive 60 being so expensive, it also offers so much for the price. Regardless of its arguably polarizing looks, the Bavarian manufacturer must be applauded for daring to break with tradition and create something that snaps heads and looks like nothing else on the road. That’s why it clinched the win in the Best Luxury EV category in Round 1.

Moreover, the four of us in the judging panel agree that the i7 is objectively the better 7 Series when compared to its internal-combustion 735i sibling.

So who won?

Three brilliant luxury vehicles, but only one can win this category.

Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best Luxury Car
Audi SQ 7

The Audi SQ 7 won due to the value proposition it brings to this line-up, which cannot be overlooked. Plus, its muted aggressive looks and turn of speed means the SQ 7 would be a luxury vehicle that a modern-day Godfather would be proud to ride in.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the Audi SQ 7 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best Luxury Car!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Seven winners from Round 1 are sold with Category A COEs (Cat A COE). The Overall Best Cat A Vehicle is decided from amongst these seven.

In this round, we see all manners of body styles with internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and electric vehicle guises going up against one another.

Meet The Contenders

BMW 216i Active Tourer

The BMW 216i Active Tourer beat out the Volkswagen Golf Life, Honda Jazz Crosstar, Škoda Scala 1.0 and Suzuki Swift Mild Hybrid to win Best Cat A Hatchback. This practical and well-appointed Bimmer has tons of brand cachet, and lets one put their success on display. The points it garnered pointed to unanimity among the judging panel.

BYD Atto 3

The BYD Atto 3 beat the Peugeot e-2008, Kia Niro Electric and Mazda MX-30 to be crowned Best Cat A SUV EV. The judging panel was impressed with its efficiency and how it felt like the complete package as an SUV EV.

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin fought against the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Citroën e-C4 and Ora Good Cat and won Best Cat A Hatchback EV. We felt that the Dolphin offered the most complete value proposition in its class and that the polished tech implementation made it that much more desirable.

BMW X1 sDrive16i

The BMW X1 sDrive16i went up against the Citroën C5 Aircross, Opel Mokka and Opel Grandland, and won Best Cat A SUV. Oodles of brand cachet and feeling like the most complete package won this Bimmer the accolade, despite being the most expensive in its class.

Kia Niro Hybrid

The Kia Niro Hybrid went up against the Hyundai Kona Hybrid and the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid and took home the title of Best Cat A Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid. Its decisive victory came about because it felt like the most complete value proposition of the trio.

Peugeot 408

The Peugeot 408 fought hard against the Škoda Octavia 1.0 eTec and Audi A3 Sedan and clinched the title of Best Cat A Sedan. The controversy it ignited is what won its top spot, because if one wants to really stand out with their choice of car, then this is it!

Toyota Sienta Hybrid

Finally, the Toyota Sienta Hybrid went up against the Honda Freed and claimed the title of Best Cat A MPV. It felt like more car for the money, and coupled with its excellent fuel economy, decisively won this category’s crown.

So who won?

Seven excellent award-winning choices here, and suffice to say you won’t go wrong with any of them. However, we in the judging panel had a job to do, and that was to choose an overall winner.

Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best Cat A Vehicle
BMW X1 sDrive16i

And our overall winner is the BMW X1 sDrive16i! The BMW X1 won because it represents a more attractive option to more people than its 216i Active Tourer counterpart. Despite it being the most expensive of the line-up, its brand cachet makes it super desirable in this segment, and the SUV body style has looks going for it.

Desirability is a strong factor that we acknowledge too, and we are confident most will be more than happy to own it.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the BMW X1 sDrive16i for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best Cat A Vehicle!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Contenders need to be COE Category B Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that are battery-electric. They may hail from premium brands, but can be considered entry-level vehicles in their respective line-ups. Pretty straightforward.

Meet The Contenders

SUVs are a perennial favourite amongst Singaporean buyers, not to mention the world at large. They’re easier to get into and out of, and come across as more practical than their sedan and hatchback siblings. They also offer a more commanding view out of the cabin whilst out on the road.

With the push for electrification in recent years, SUV buyers now have the opportunity to both enjoy a quieter drive while flexing their eco-conscious status. Which then brings us to the two COE Cat B SUV electric vehicles contending for top spot in this category.

Hailing from Sweden is the Volvo XC40 Recharge, while representing the Teutonic side of things is the Mercedes-Benz EQB 250.

The minimalists within us appreciated the clean aesthetic that the Volvo XC40 Recharge brings to the table. Add to that an interior that exudes functionality, practicality and eco-friendly material choices and a battery pack that offers very good real-world range and you have a very compelling package right here in the XC40 Recharge.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB 250, on the other hand, brings a blinged-out interior to its up to seven occupants! Add to that practicality, ride comfort befitting a vehicle wearing the three-pointed star and very good range from its battery pack, and it is no wonder the EQB 250 made an appearance here.

Alas, all’s fair in love and war, and there can only be the one that won.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B SUV EV
Volvo XC40 Recharge

Given its price and the upmarket experience one receives for the money, the Volvo XC40 Recharge wins decisively with 324 points.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Volvo XC40 Recharge for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Cat B SUV EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!